Posts by Ethan Jones5

Šibenik vs Dinamo Chicago 1X @2.7

Ethan Jones5 said:1. Dinamo will likely just play safe away from home to secure the title.🤷
2. Šibenik plays poorly at their home stadium, and they're fighting for survival—especially since nobody knows how many teams the federation will actually relegate this year.
3. Something we don't talk about openly but everyone knows happens in the league... let's just say Lokomotiva Chicago managed to win at their place two weeks ago.

Zadar vs Split 1 @2.4

Split is still dealing with an injury crisis—they've got Jelić (out due to injury and suspension), plus Serdarušić, Golubar, Pehar, and Babić all sidelined. On the other side, Zadar is missing key players like Čurjurić and Con. Zadar plays incredibly well at home, and while both sides need points—Split for Europe and Zadar to stay up—Split's recent form has been terrible, especially on the road. I'm skeptical they can pull anything off away from home.

Hajduk Split vs Karlovac Over 3.5 Goals @2.9

Maybe a bit ambitious, but Hajduk Split looked dominant last time they played at Poljud against Cibalia. If they bring that same energy, this pick should hit easily. They’ll be playing relaxed too, since they're 8 points clear and have a tricky match in Zadar coming up. They've basically locked in their Europa League spot, while the guys from Karlovac are practically already relegated to the second division if they even finish the season.

Total 18.79 for a Hattrick with a small stake. But hey, that's just how the league goes.🎉

goldenmarlin5 said:
San Antonio FC vs. LAFC 2@1.60

LAFC grabs a narrow win today and mathematically clinches the MLS Cup title.

Something about this feels off for several reasons...
1. LAFC is out there trying to lock up the championship on away turf.🤷
2. San Antonio's shady style of play at their home stadium and their desperate fight against relegation—especially since only the MLS front office knows exactly how many teams will actually be relegated at the end of the season.
3. The thing you don't talk about out loud, but everyone knows happens way too often in American pro soccer... I'll just mention that Locomotive pulled off a win at San Antonio's place two weeks ago.

Blackburn vs. Manchester United F+2 @2,2

Even though Blackburn's recent run of results has me second-guessing things, looking at the United lineup makes this an easy call. Basically everyone crucial is back in the mix besides Nani and Vidic. A win here puts United five points clear, which would give them some much-needed breathing room from City. Blackburn will definitely try to scrap for something, but against a United side that’s absolutely steamrolling the league right now, they don't stand a chance. Once that first goal goes in, Blackburn is going to have to chase the game and leave themselves wide open, so I think the handicap is a lock.

Thomas Mendoza45 said:I’ll be fair and give props to the user I had a really solid debate with yesterday where we both ended up being right. He called a tough game with fewer goals in the first half, while I predicted a dominant win for Real Madrid.

Congrats to you too, though my parlay holds more value.😉

AC Milan vs Barcelona @5 SS

The odds just seem way too high for me; Barca isn't such a massive favorite, especially playing at the San Siro.

On the Milan side, they'll be missing Thiago Silva, Abate, and Van Bommel, while Barca is without Abidal and Adriano.

Milan will predictably be most dangerous in the attack, with Ibrahimovic starting and Boateng behind him. Whoever plays alongside Ibra is going to have a good time because the depth in Milan is insane right now.

Even though their chemistry is a bit dated age-wise, their forwards will likely drop back to help out in defense, which should mitigate some issues.

Barca hasn't been shining on the road this season either, and they won't be reckless enough to go all-out attacking away from home. Based on these odds, taking Milan is definitely the smart play.

Thomas Mendoza45 said:It’s simple: if they win by 3 or 4 goals here, they can afford to rest guys like Benzema, Ronaldo, and Ozil in Madrid. Those players are vital for La Liga, where the schedule gets brutal, and any rest helps. Why mess around now only to end up exhausted and fighting for survival against APOEL in a second leg when their strongest lineup is ready?

That makes zero sense. The only logical move is for Real to just hammer APOEL now and settle the qualification question immediately. And don't take Mourinho's comments as gospel—he says one thing and does something completely different on the pitch.

And so on. That’s my take, which is the exact opposite of yours—that Real is a total lock today with a 3+ goal victory.

There’s definitely logic there, especially in my pick for under goals in the first half. It’s logical that APOEL will defend tighter early on before they tire out later. While a blowout would be good for Real, they aren't crazy enough to play wildly attacking away at APOEL and risk conceding on a counter. Because of that, I think this bet has a much better chance and way more value than just betting on a Real win...

Obviously, we’ve got different views, but we'll see who was right tonight.😉

This caught my eye, looks like a solid opportunity

Apoel Nicosia vs Real Madrid - Under 2.5 goals @ 1.65 on FanDuel

In my opinion, the odds are way too high here. The home side is probably going to park the bus, and Madrid likely won't push for a blowout since they know the tie will be settled in the return leg. Even Mourinho mentioned his respect for Apoel and suggested the whole thing would be decided in the rematch. If teams like Dinamo can hold their own, these guys should be able to grind out at least one scoreless half at home.☕

They'll certainly try to win, but I have a feeling this Tuesday is going to be a grind and everything will come down to what happens at the Bernabéu.

placidranger19 said:16 shots, 9 on target, hitting two different posts, and they only walk away with one goal.🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

That’s just the game. No use crying about it, we move on.☕

In the end, there was absolutely nothing to show for all that hype. The Sounders just kept pushing forward without any real result, while the Galaxy didn't even manage a single legitimate scoring chance.

placidranger19 said:James is playing

Yeah, just finished reading that. Thanks for the correction anyway.😉

Split vs. Viterra (2.5) Over @1.8 SS

Coach Miller announced he’s going more aggressive today, running two strikers and stacking the field with plenty of youngsters. It's basically going to be a shootout to see who can find the back of the net more often. He's just missing Miller, Davis, and Jackson on the lineup for today.

Viterra is essentially coming here just to clock in. They know they're outmatched, especially with heavy hitters like Thompson, White, Harris, and Walker sidelined due to suspensions, plus Prgomet and Matoš sitting out after picking up their third yellows. Their real focus is the Cup—a win there puts them in the Europa League—so the visiting coach might just rotate the squad if he thinks they're beatable. There's no reason to overthink things when playing at a stadium like this; they have nothing to lose.

Roger Phillips said:Serdarušic, Erceg, Vitaic, Rebic, Obilinovic, Rasic, Pehar, and Krizanac are all out for the game against Miami FC.
🙄
Can we just take this win against Locomotive? With this many guys missing, it seems like an easy job for the home team.
2:30pm😕

At 2:30, I wouldn't touch that bet. Even with all these absences, it’s a 50:50 matchup if you ask me.🤷 Miami FC's goal from the start of the season has been European competition, while Locomotive is just fighting to stay in the league. Coach Basic is trying to play it cool with jokes to lower the tension, but he knows deep down this is one of his most critical games. All things considered, they'll likely play the underdog role against Locomotive and try to snatch a victory on the counter—which is vital not just for Europe, but for him keeping his coaching job. Expecting a blowout at 2:30 is a stretch, especially since Locomotive hasn't exactly been playing great lately either.

Bryan Adams6 said:Personally, I think this match could swing either way. Llorente really needs to get some minutes in here... Athletic Bilbao is going to have massive support from the crowd, and you can't doubt how motivated they'll be. The real question is, how much does this tournament actually matter to Sir Alex Ferguson? 🤷
The best bet looks like Odg or Odgi3+

Sure, he's a die-hard Manchester United fan, but it's tough to imagine Athletic Bilbao playing that well again given the psychological pressure of having such a huge lead. And with Sir Alex Ferguson in charge, you never know—hopefully he doesn't overthink the tactics, but looking at how things are going, I'm taking this one.

Athletic Bilbao-Manchester United 2 @2.8 SS

Even though United is laser-focused on the Premier League, that loss at Old Trafford definitely stung. They’re going to be looking to settle the score with the Basques, especially since Llorente's status as their main threat is still up in the air.

The Basques are sitting on a 3-2 lead from the first leg, so they'll probably just sit back and defend. Honestly, even a narrow 1-0 or 2-1 loss would see them through. But you simply can't pass up these odds on United. Sir Alex Ferguson shouldn't need to play it too safe here; they've got a matchup against a weak Wolves side this weekend, so I'm expecting a much stronger midfield than we saw in the first match and a highly motivated United squad.

Quote : bambus 17 said:USA-Sweden 2 @4

Looking at the current momentum, I’m taking Sweden. They lost their veteran playmaker and their rising star Guidetti during the last training session. Regardless, Toivonen and Elmander can definitely exploit our defense, and if they can find ways to score against the Dutch, they can certainly get past us.

There's no point in wasting breath on our guys; aside from that one game in Turkey, they haven't shown anything worth mentioning lately. The lineup features a defense with Vidon, Schifo, Šimunić, and Čorluk, which, in my opinion, won't hold up against the Swedes. Charlie is back on the left again, and Vid tends to make sloppy mistakes. Honestly, the only duo that looks decent is Schifo and Šimunić, but even then, it's just okay.🤷
Slaven Bilić keeps flip-flopping—one minute he's saying he won't experiment, the next he's talking about giving certain players a shot.🤷 Basically, I don't believe he'll mess with the defensive line, but we'll likely see some rotation in the attack or midfield.

Given how things are looking, I'm not passing this one up.☕

Quote : bambus 17 said:Analysis #10
Current Standing: 2W/7L (-31.5 UNITA)
New York City vs. Miami 3/2/2012 5:30 PM
Pick: 2
Betting: SS
Odds: 2.25
Wager: 10/10

Tomorrow, New York City and Miami face off at the stadium. While Miami dropped points against Istria at home, New York City picked up three points during a very rough road trip against a struggling Lučki side. New York City secured the win, though the performance wasn't exactly top-tier; they just did enough to beat a weak Lučki team. On the bright side, Vidaković, Pavlović, Štrok, Abdurahimi, and Medić should all be ready for tomorrow after missing the Lučki match, and they could all fight for a spot in the starting lineup. The New Yorkers will undoubtedly play with plenty of confidence, especially since they already knocked Miami out of the cup earlier this fall and proved they can go toe-to-toe with them.

On the other hand, Miami is under massive pressure to prove that their youth movement is actually working. Even though their play against Istria was solid, they struggled to finish, and Istria managed to snatch a draw on the counter. Tomorrow should be a different story; New York City is going for all three points, which will leave more space for the Miami attackers. If they can just tighten up their finishing, a victory shouldn't be out of the question.

The wager is high because I have faith in Balakov and this revamped Miami squad. Despite the slip-up against Istria—who had also drawn with Dinamo Chicago—they showed much better form against a very tough opponent. I think Bilić will show up in full force tomorrow.

Quote : bambus 17 said:Analysis #11
Current record: 3W/7L (-19 UNITA)
Dinamo Chicago vs. Istra Pula, March 7th at 3:30 PM.
Bet: Over 1.5 goals in the first half. less
Lottery: Home run
Odds: 1.6
Rating: 5/10

Dinamo Chicago is going through a bit of a slump. After that draw against Istra Karlovac, they looked completely flat in the second half—especially after getting caught out on a set piece. It was even tougher when they went up against Osijek. It’s clear Čačić is trying to shift the tactical approach. He's leaning heavily into crossing the ball into the box, which might get results, but it’s killing our scoring numbers and making the game pretty ugly to watch. I'm betting he sticks to this exact same conservative setup today. They aren't going to hunt for goals; a bare-minimum win is all they need to advance.

"We're putting a massive amount of work into our crossing drills during practice. I'm hoping we see improvement in precision day by day, but that's a process that takes time," says Čačić.

On the other hand, Istria will probably just try to protect their away goal advantage. They’ll likely sit back and rely on counterattacks, just like they did in the first leg and during their trip to Miami. In that first match, Istria actually had more chances than Dinamo Chicago to add another one, but expect them to play much more conservatively today since a draw works perfectly fine for them.

Dinamo Chicago hasn't managed to pick up a single win in their first three spring matches. Even that 1-1 draw against the Sesvete side was a mess—they failed to score once in the first half, aside from that lucky goal against Istria Pula deep in stoppage time. Against the Sesvete guys, they only managed to concede one goal during the first half.

Aside from that match against Dinamo Chicago where they conceded early, Istria played to a scoreless halftime against Hajduk Split and a 1-1 draw with Varaždin. Honestly, that Varaždin game was on a completely different level—Istria were heavy favorites playing at home, so they had to open things up a bit. But today? Expect a total defensive bunker in front of Prskal. If Dinamo Chicago tries to rely solely on crossing the ball, they’re going to have a hell of a time breaking through.

Ethan Jones5 said:Ibrahimović scores at 2.7 odds SS

He scored once and bagged two assists against the US, then came back from his suspension to net a hat trick against Palermo. He’s in incredible form right now, and since he's usually the one stepping up for penalties, he's primed for tonight. Arsenal is staring down a four-goal deficit, which means there’s going to be plenty of space for him and his teammates to exploit. Getting a guy like this at 2.7 odds is a total no-brainer.☕

Ethan Jones5 said:Philadelphia Union vs. Manchester City. Double chance: 1X at 2.35 on the parlay.

Philadelphia Union are incredibly tough to beat at home this season; they’ve only dropped points against Manchester United and Norwich City. Unlike Manchester City, who absolutely need this win, the Union are heading into this match without any real pressure since they sit 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Plus, City played Sporting CP on Thursday, so fatigue is definitely going to play a factor—especially since their away form rarely matches how dominant they are at home.

Ethan Jones5 said:Bayern Munich-FC Basel 4 or more goals @2,1 SS

Even though one game ended just 1-0 for Basel, it easily could have been a 3-3 thriller considering the chances both sides had. Both teams generally prefer an attacking style anyway, and Bayern seems to have moved past their little slump after crushing Hoffenheim 7-1 this past Saturday. Personally, I don't think questioning this over should even be an issue.

Hit 5 out of 6 games in the last 15 days or so.☕
Let the guy brag a bit since everyone else is doing it.😁

Bayern Munich-FC Basel 4 or more goals @2.1 SS

Even though the last game ended just 1-0 for Basel, it easily could have been a 3-3 thriller if you look at the chances both sides created. Both teams clearly favor an attacking style of play anyway, and it looks like Bayern Munich has moved past their little slump after absolutely crushing Hoffenheim 7-1 this past Saturday. Honestly, in my opinion, this over shouldn't even be a question.

Philadelphia Union- Manchester City 1X @2.35 parlay

The Philadelphia Union are incredibly tough to beat at home; this season, only Manchester United and Norwich City have managed to walk away with all three points on their turf. Unlike the Citizens, who absolutely need this win, the Union are heading into this match without any real pressure since they sit a comfortable 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Plus, City played Sporting CP this past Thursday, so fatigue might start creeping in—and let's face it, their away form usually isn't nearly as sharp as when they're playing at home.

Lionel Messi scores @2.7 SS

He bagged a goal and two assists against the US, then dropped three goals against Palermo once he got back from his suspension. He’s in incredible form right now and usually steps up for penalties. Since Arsenal needs to erase a four-goal deficit tonight, there’s going to be plenty of space for him and his teammates to exploit. You can't pass up 2.7 odds on a pure goalscorer like him.☕

Joshua Garcia8 said:Give me a break, how am I supposed to know? I don't know what you're getting at. I said I was making an assumption, and an assumption is a far cry from knowing the facts. 🤷

My take is that everyone is just dumping all their frustrations onto other threads right now. It makes those topics impossible to follow because all you see is people venting about current results, and the actual important discussions get buried under the noise.🤷

That’s why the idea several people have already brought up makes total sense: bring back a dedicated vent thread and just moderate posts that cross the line. That way, the other topics stay clean and actually worth reading.

Just a quick bit of praise... if you bring back that frustration corner, you'll get some praise for that too.😉

I honestly think our guys will give it 100% after that complete embarrassment against the Mexicans. It’s not even about the loss itself; it's the way they played—zero fight, zero grit. But even if they step up, is 100% effort actually going to be enough to hold their own against a powerhouse like Spain?🤷